WhatsApp is reportedly developing a new voice-to-text feature for Android, aiming to provide a simplified user experience.
The reported update may let users dictate messages and send them as written text rather than sharing an audio recording.
As per WABetaInfo, the feature was spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.37.8. It is currently under development and yet to become available to beta testers.
The Meta-owned WhatsApp’s latest feature will add a dedicated button within the chat bar. Following its selection, users will be able to speak their message while WhatsApp displays a “Listening...” indicator.
After converting the speech into text, the update will let users review it and click the send button.
A report suggested WhatsApp’s new feature will work in individual chats, groups and channels. Unlike a regular voice message, the recipient will only get transcription and will not receive the voice message.
WhatsApp is also expected to use locally downloaded language packs to process the spoken content directly on the device. This means users will be able to dictate messages without an active internet connection after downloading the required language pack.
Moreover, the company is likely to use locally installed language packs to easily proceed with the spoken content directly on the device. This means users will be able to dictate messages while being offline after installing the required language pack.
The feature builds on WhatsApp’s existing voice-message transcription system that already supports locally processed transcriptions through language packs.
Notably, WhatsApp has yet to announce when the voice-to-text feature will be launched publicly. Its placement within the chat bar could also change before launch, as the company frequently adjusts experimental features during development.
For now, the voice-to-text tool remains an Android experiment, and it is unclear whether WhatsApp will eventually make it available to all users.
